Shinn Shots Photography

Simply Authentic

May 02 2012

Great Expectations

As many of you already know, we are expecting a new addition to our family….and soon! I’ve been so focused on keeping up with clients before the baby comes that I haven’t even made the big announcement here on my blog!

There’s nothing like being 39 weeks pregnant to make you clean like a crazy person…or just make you crazy in general. Of course, I’ve been nesting for about 6 of these past 9 months. My house is straight (with much help from my extended family members!), my photography business is in order, and I am ready to have this baby! Good thing since I’m sitting in a hospital bed waiting to be induced tomorrow, writing this blog post! Gee, I must be a master at keeping busy.

I want to thank all of my wonderful clients for their immense patience during this busy season in my life. I’ll be taking a little time off, but I’ll be back in full swing for the fall rush!

Stay tuned for pictures of the little guy (Patrick) in the coming weeks. I’ll be sure to keep you posted

- Lauren

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Topic: Maternity Tags: family, georgia, maternity

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Feb 25 2012

: The F Family :

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I love watching new parents with their first little one.

The detailed attention that sweet new baby gets is like nothing else. The complete adoration and love for this new little being is overwhelming. And the baby is too little to be anything but precious. Ahh…it is a wonderful, tired bliss.

The F family was a perfect example of this new baby love. Sweet baby Genevieve was all smiles and her parents were the perfect loving team. Not only that, but their house has the best natural light I’ve ever shot in a home! I was in heaven.

We spent the morning (and some of the afternoon!) taking pictures with the studio set-up and with natural light around the house. I enjoyed getting to meet Genevieve and Sally (her mom) earlier in the week, so I had developed a plan to accommodate Genevieve’s tendency to prefer to fall asleep to the sound of running water in the bathroom. Rarely do babies follow plans so well, but Genevieve got tired right on time and we got some amazing shots in the bathroom. (Every room is a possibility for amazing portraits!)

Of course, 3-month-olds tend to like to stay in one position once they fall asleep. Genevieve woke up when we tried to adjust her a little bit for our last round of studio shots. We were really hoping for some studio shots with the black backdrop though, so super-mom Sally patiently held baby Genevieve until she was sound asleep again. With a CD player playing the sound of running water in the “studio” (thanks super-dad Yannick), we got some great studio shots using just natural light so that the strobes didn’t wake Genevieve. I’ll admit that shooting in silence while still trying to give feedback to the people who were awake was a little challenging, but well worth the effort. Beautiful!

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t compliment Yannick on his true dedication during the photo session. Few men are as easy and helpful as he was for as long as he was…a trait that I am sure is appreciated by his wife!

What a sweet family and a joy to spend the day with. I can’t wait to take more portraits as Genevieve grows!

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Topic: Families Tags: baby, family, georgia

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Nov 05 2011

: The L Family : Simon’s 2!

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I really want to introduce Simon to Gabriel because these are two of the happiest kids I’ve ever met.

I’ve been lucky enough to take pictures of Simon since before he was born, and even luckier to be good friends with his parents. A couple weekends ago I made the journey up to North Carolina, back to my grad school stomping grounds. There’s just something I love about North Carolina. For the longest time I really didn’t understand what it meant to feel bound by the land or to feel as if you just belonged somewhere…but that’s how I feel about NC. I love the people, the scenery, the mountains and ocean. If I could convince all 9 of our family members (plus my husband!) that currently reside in Georgia to move to North Carolina, I’d be there in a heartbeat.

But I digress…

I’ve been friends with Simon’s mom, Joanna, since 2003 when we both started grad school at UNC-Greensboro. I opted out after a Masters and she went on for the PhD. (Although I still don’t call her doctor Joanna) And I’ve been taking pictures of their family since Joanna and Geoff’s rehearsal dinner. My, how time flies!

Have I mentioned how special it is to be involved in a family’s life story through photography?

Yup. I think I made the right choice leaving school before getting a PhD to pursue photography (although I didn’t know it at the time).

Back to Simon again…

Just as he was a year ago at his two-year-old shoot, he was an absolute joy! He was always ready to smile and enjoyed our chilly walk through the woods. And what a cutie! I could have spent the whole day with this kid. Luckily I got most of the morning plus a fabulous chocolate chip pancake breakfast at Tex and Shirleys – my all time favorite breakfast place!

Thank you again to Joanna and Geoff for giving me an excuse to come to North Carolina and for always calling on me despite the long distance

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Topic: Families Tags: family, north carolina, toddler

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JoannaNovember 5, 2011 - 9:45 am

Lauren – Thanks so much for the wonderful preview. We can’t imagine anyone else but you taking our photos. You really are capturing our family history! Plus, it’s always great to catch up with you! Next time, I promise to carve out more time to spend with you. Things have definitely changed since our days in grad school! ‘Wouldn’t give those years up for anything but, glad to be in another phase of life!

Lisa BennerNovember 5, 2011 - 2:04 pm

Lauren – You continue to amaze! Wonderful pictures – obviously everyone had a good time and it shows! Your spirit and love for your craft comes through in each picture. Thanks!

Oct 22 2011

:The W Family: Mark’s One Year!

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I think one of my all time favorite things about this job is that after just a little bit of time, clients turn into friends.

I’ve been taking pictures of sweet baby Mark since before he was born – and I’ve loved every minute of it! It is simply amazing to watch a baby grow and change from a newborn to a one year old through the lens of a camera.

Mark’s one year session was an interesting one since he decided, for the first time ever, to skip his morning nap. How do babies always know when it’s picture day? Mark’s such a happy boy, so we still got some smiles, just not quite as many as we usually do. I love the how his hair sticks up a little on the sides – such a “little kid” thing!

We also squeezed in some family portraits. The kids had a great time taking pictures with their special animals and playing around with balloons. My fabulous assistant, Amanda, joined me for the session and was a genius at getting the kids to smile. From talking in animal voices to using up all her air blowing up balloons, she pulled out all the stops and got the grins!

After a lunch break, we got some more casual shots on the W couch. The kids grabbed a book and just hung out while I snapped some shots. We even had a little time to get a few pictures of mom and dad stealing a moment when kids weren’t around. Such a sweet couple – no wonder their family is so nice!

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Although I had fun and completely enjoyed my morning with the W family, my favorite part was this letter given to me by their eldest son:

He even remembered that I have cats!

Needless to say, it’s getting framed and hung in my office

I think I must have the best job in the whole world. A giant thank you to all of my clients, and especially the W family, for making it the best job.

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Topic: Families Tags: baby, family, georgia

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Sep 26 2011

: The C Family :

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Taking portraits of friends is one of my most favorite things to do. I’ve spent almost all summer catching up with friends through my lens! My most recent portrait session was with some new friends to me, but some old friends of my husbands. Alec was a groomsmen in our wedding. We’ve been able to hang out with their family more often recently and I’ve loved getting to know them better! Gatherings are always so relaxed and include fun things like dancing in front of the Xbox Kinect and my child winding their child up in his jumpy seat and then letting him go so he spins at great speeds! I’ve been getting to know Melissa and we get along fabulously. She always speaks her mind, which is a quality I greatly value, and she never fails to make my laugh.

For our portrait session, I got the morning off from my own kiddo and was able spend a relaxed morning/afternoon with the C family. We even enjoyed lunch together and I got to watch my first episode of the TV series Raising Hope. (How great is my job? I get to sit back and watch TV with my clients!) The episode was related to photography…but mostly it was just hilarious!

The best part of the session was getting to spend some time with Gabriel, the absolutely adorable 7 month old who lights up a room with his smile. His whole face just beams when he smiles! It’s addictive to be around. He did wear out after about 2 hours of pictures, but he hung in there like a champ through several wardrobe changes and even gave us a few more smiles after he was “done.”

And let me tell you, Gabriel is one lucky kid. I don’t believe I’ve ever photographed young parents that were so much in love. Even just catching a glimpse through my lens, Alec and Melissa’s relationship is clearly a special one. They both have a wonderful sense of humor and are very passionate about each other. It is just a joy to photograph two people who are so relaxed and so in love. And this wasn’t an engagement session…it was a session for their 7 month old! It is like a breath of fresh air to see a married couple so very much in love.

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